That is the short bed, so limited on project lengths. Does have some tooling. That's where it gets expensive, getting the tooling.

General rule-of-thumb on lathes is that they perform well working diameters of 1/6 of the swing diameter, or 7/6", about 1 1/4" stock. Up to 1/3 swing can be done, but must reduce speeds/feeds. Above that takes meticulous care.

Lathes don't loose value much, that looks like a pretty fair deal to get into the game.

It does have a powered leadscrew, and change gearing. Earlier ones didn't have that.

I have one for 300 bucks with the qctp and tooling it is a fair deal. However the bed length it really limiting once you get the tail stock and chuck with a drill bit in there you are down to working on a 5" max length part. It is great for turning some bungs or making a few spacers. I had some 2 1/4 6160 in mine making a speedo delete and I was struggling.

Just thinking about buying my first lathe for small projects. Axles and stuff. Do you think it's a good deal?

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...............................hi you couldn,t go wrong buying that lathe ,,,it would do everything you wanted to do and properly treated would do extra if needed too ,,its a good size take the plunge and buy it regards oldbiker...................... i purchased my hobby lathe from the town yearly auction for $110 took it home and cleaned itit came with a 4 jaw chuck,,, i,ve got to get a series1 live centreto make my life easier

Hi Jake,
you have to ask? For $300 it's a total bargain. Why ain't it in your garage already?
OK, it's small and limited in scope but it's WAY better than effin' around attempting lathe work on a drill press.
Keep it clean and it'll never go down in value and if you determine that it's only a first step in your progress as a machinist, There's your $300 deposit on a bigger lathe.
Or a lathe/mill combo.

HF screw drivers are junk. Their precision anything is horrid. Once you realize what machining is you will be angry you wasted your money. I would find something else for around 600. Sometimes for twice the money you get 100 times better quality. Don't skimp on machining stuff. It's already hard and dangerous enough.. Here's one for 400. Probably comes with tooling. http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/tls/4385899395.html

Thanks for all the replies everyone. It is a great machine for the price, but after research i think ill pass. Id like the option to do slightly longer things and work with harder metals. thanks for all the sites toomanyXS1bs im reading up on them. I dont know how a brain can have so much knowledge. like always youve been a great help.

buy a used 12" swing, they are out there with all tooling. Industry shifting to cnc lathes.
I have a 13" I bought 15 years ago for $3200. with tooling. It was new delivered.
Small jobs for walking in customers $50/hr.
Have it for own use.

What is the quality of the older lathes from Sears and Roebuck (pre-Craftsman)?
And would they be an Atlas rebranded?

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That's right! The old Atlas. These older '30s-'50s lathes, Atlas, Southbend, Logan, etc., are in a class of their own. Beautiful castings, chromed knobs, ...etc. They were built and accurized with oldschool craftmanship, meticulous hand scraping, an almost lost art.

There's a variety of interest/support websites and vendors out there keeping them alive, kinda like vintage motorcycles, another cult. Imagine being a kid peeking thru the candystore window, but the candystore is a 40 acre wonkaland.

Quality, however, can be all over the map. So, just like our beloved XS' s, you've got to do your homework and do close inspections. Many older worn-out machines that would be candidates for scrapping are being meticulously restored. Turcite is often used to restore ways, and many basements of a dying generation are yielding hidden treasures, supplying parts for this hobby.

Yes, hobby. In a serious business environment, these old machines can't compete with modern tooling. But, it is a fantastic hobby, or black hole....

The lathe enthusiasts lean heavily toward the classic American and British brands, including myself. Now there's some respectful new offerings from littlemachineshop, Southbend, Jet and Shopsmith. But they're a bit beyond your budget.

Many show up on eBay, and are found predominantly in the industrial NE, rustbelt, West coast, and your area. Down here, there's an abundance of 'bob' wire, leather and cattle, so I'm kinda jealous of your proximity to machining opportunities and supplies.

Look for Logan, atlas or craftsman. All older models, but all of them ultimately made by Logan. Logan is still in business and replacement parts are easily found for any of these models. I use a Logan 825, its decades old and still works flawlessly. I've only ever had to replace a belt and part of the cross slide (due to miss use from a friend). I purchased my logan for $300 with the Logan base, tons of tooling and a machinist tool box full of measuring tools.

IMO the older craftsman lathes are not really that great but 100 times better than anything from HF. I did recently see a large Enco something lathe from Tawain that was really nice but it was also 13 thousand bucks.. I have a Southbend Heavy 10 built in 1969. It's old and crusty but amazing. Came with tons of tooling. My uncle owed me 300 bucks for working for him and gave it to me with a broken back gear which I found on ehay for 10 bucks. Then you join practicalmachinist.com and start the buying frenzy. A mill is soon after along with tons of tooling and measuring stuff. Say good bye to your money! haha. Love it.